European Commission not ready to approve Spain's request for support in Ceuta

The European Commission said Thursday it is not ready to approve Spain's request for emergency support in dealing with the Ceuta migration crisis, as further information is needed before a decision can be made.

Commission spokesman Markus Lammert said at the daily press briefing that the requests were being evaluated and that the Spanish government still needs to provide further information regarding several questions. Ceuta, which shares a land border with Morocco, is one of Spain's two enclaves on the North African coast and forms part of the European Union's external border.

Between late July and early August, a massive wave of undocumented migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta after misinformation about Spain's migration policy spread widely, triggering one of Spain's most severe border crises in recent years.

Around 80,000 undocumented migrants are estimated to have entered Ceuta from Morocco during the crisis, with about 5,000 still stranded in the city as of the latest reports.

The Spanish government formally requested emergency support from the European Union on August 28 to manage the situation, including staffing from Frontex and remote assistance from the European Union Agency for Asylum.

European Commission not ready to approve Spain's request for support in Ceuta

European Commission not ready to approve Spain's request for support in Ceuta

Trade between the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries hit a record 5.58 trillion yuan (around 837 billion U.S. dollars) during the first three quarters of 2026, representing a year-on-year increase of 26.7 percent, according to the latest customs data.

High-end manufactured goods, including machinery, electronic goods and integrated circuits, along with green products, were the main drivers of this growth.

The nine major cities in the GBA are Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing in Guangdong Province. Together with the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, these cities form one of China's most dynamic economic hubs.

Trade between Greater Bay Area cities and APEC countries hits record high